Shikamaru was the first to speak up. "Asuma, weren't you and Guy-sensei supposed to be in charge of escorting? Where the hell were you just now?"
Asuma lit a cigarette but remained silent.
Instead, Guy answered, "We were stopped… by a strange enemy."
Strange enemy?
What kind of opponent could stall two elite jōnin at once?
"A man wearing a swirling mask," Asuma said as he exhaled smoke. "His body can become intangible. We couldn't land a single hit. It felt like he was playing with us, deliberately stalling. Eventually, he seemed to grow bored and let us go."
Swirling mask? Intangibility?
Natsuki narrowed his eyes.
So… Uchiha Obito had made his move.
It seemed that after Kakuzu and Hidan's deaths, Akatsuki was short on manpower—and more desperate than ever. They'd even pushed up their plans to capture the Tailed Beasts.
Well, not exactly ahead of schedule—Fuu, the Seven-Tails Jinchuuriki, had also been captured during this period in the original timeline.
As for Naruto, in canon he had already been taken away by Jiraiya and didn't participate in the chūnin exams at all.
Clearly, Akatsuki saw the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki leaving the village as a rare opportunity and sent people to strike. Unfortunately for them, they had the wrong team. If Itachi and Kisame had come here instead, Tenten's group would've stood no chance.
And Obito… maybe he'd hoped to kill Asuma and Guy during the distraction.
But that wasn't going to happen. Even if he could phase through Guy's attacks, killing him was another matter entirely.
Guy added, "The strangest part… is that masked man had a Sharingan."
Shing!
Everyone's eyes snapped to Sasuke.
Gripping the hilt of his sword, Sasuke muttered, "Sharingan? That's impossible! Uchiha Itachi was fighting Natsuki earlier—this guy isn't Itachi… Does that mean there's another Uchiha I don't know about?!"
Asuma flicked away his cigarette and nodded. "You're not wrong. There's another—mysterious—Uchiha. Back when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha… it was said a man wearing a swirling mask used his Sharingan to control the Nine-Tails and unleashed the beast on the village. That incident cost the Fourth Hokage his life…"
Recalling the past, Asuma couldn't help but sigh.
He'd been away at the time, serving as a Guardian Shinobi Twelve. He'd only heard the details later from his father.
Guy, however, had been there. "It's true. Many of us saw the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes. That's why suspicion fell on the Uchiha. The whole situation was… complicated. But now it's clear—the one behind that disaster was this masked man. And now we know… he's a member of Akatsuki."
Akatsuki...
Everyone's face darkened.
Naruto and Sasuke were both stunned—Naruto by the link to the Nine-Tails incident, and Sasuke by the revelation of yet another surviving Uchiha. Neither could find words.
Thankfully, Natsuki brought them back to reality. "That's enough. We need to report this to Tsunade-sama right away. Let's escort everyone back to the village first—only then will we be safe."
No one objected. They began gathering the group for departure.
If it weren't for the large number of people, Natsuki might've just Flying Thunder God'd them all back.
As for Kakashi, he'd have to remain a guest in Takigakure for now. Natsuki would speak with Tsunade about it later before going to retrieve him.
Fortunately, the journey back to the village was uneventful. Upon returning, everyone rushed to the Konoha Hospital—just in time to see Tsunade emerging from the building, with Megumi and Sakura following behind.
"Tsunade-sama, how are they?" Tenten asked anxiously.
"Don't worry, they're fine now. You brought them back just in time—the poison hadn't spread too deeply. Detox was easy."
Tsunade smiled gently to reassure them, though her eyes subtly glanced at Sakura.
Sakura hadn't been studying medical ninjutsu for long, and didn't have an experienced mentor. But her fundamentals were solid—she was a promising student.
Tsunade wouldn't mind taking another apprentice. But she'd never offer first—it was up to Sakura to show the resolve.
Hearing her words, Tenten, Shino, and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tsunade then summoned them to her office. After listening to their full report, her brow furrowed—and never relaxed again.
Even with Natsuki and Kakashi involved, they had only managed to protect Fuu. Naruto had been left exposed.
Who could've guessed Akatsuki had such hidden strength?
And the man with the swirling mask—he wasn't just any enemy. He was the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails attack.
Things had just become even more complicated.
After thinking it through, Tsunade gave her orders. "Natsuki, I want you to head back to Takigakure and check in on Kakashi. Tenten, you'll stay here and keep a direct communication link with Natsuki. As for the rest of you—go get some rest. Once the elders finish deliberating, the promotion list for the chūnin exam will be posted."
Everyone nodded and dispersed.
Natsuki gave Tenten a light pat on the head before quietly vanishing from the room.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in a familiar place—Kakashi was sitting nearby, reading his usual Make-Out Paradise.
Kakashi glanced up. "Natsuki. Finally. How's the situation over there?"
"Well... it's a little complicated…"
Natsuki quickly gave him a rundown. Kakashi put his book away and became serious.
This wasn't something they could take lightly. If the true culprit behind the Nine-Tails attack was involved—and working with Akatsuki—then the threat level had jumped significantly.
But this wasn't the place to discuss such things. And the masked man's identity was still unknown, even if it was clear he belonged to Akatsuki.
Akatsuki was full of hidden monsters.
They couldn't be underestimated.
"What about here?" Natsuki asked. "What's Takigakure's leader planning?"
Kakashi sighed. "Leader Shibuki was grateful for our help, but… they've decided to protect Fuu themselves. They won't send her to a major village for shelter."
Natsuki frowned slightly.
Given the situation, Takigakure should've sent Fuu to Sunagakure or Konoha. They simply didn't have the strength to protect her from Akatsuki. Even if Fuu went full Tailed Beast Mode, it wouldn't guarantee victory.
Still, Shibuki refused.
He saw Fuu as his little sister—perhaps he believed it was his duty to protect his own family.
Kakashi couldn't force him.
"I see. Then there's no point staying here."
Natsuki didn't argue. After all, no amount of persuasion could change the mind of someone who had already decided to risk everything.
And he understood Shibuki's mindset.
A Jinchuuriki was the core of a village's power—like a nation's nuclear deterrent. You couldn't just hand it over.
More importantly, Shibuki genuinely saw Fuu as his sister.
A brother protecting his sister—no one else had the right to interfere.
(End of Chapter)
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